Retail technology innovation of the week: shu uemura launches AI and 3D powered mirror at flagship store
Retail Technology Innovation of the Week is a series brought to you by RTIH, highlighting stand out deployments, launches, and initiatives by retailers and tech suppliers. Every week, we showcase forward thinking tech plays that have impressed our Editor and the Retail Technology Innovations Report judging panel, building up to the publication of the 2026 report later this year.
And this week we’re focusing on shu uemura, a Japanese makeup artist brand owned by L’Oréal, which is introducing in-store technology developed by Loook.ai. An AI mirror is now live at the brand’s newly designed global flagship store, shu:ARTstage in Omotesando Hills Tokyo, where customers can experience a real mirror featuring AI powered 3D facial scanning that delivers instant facial insights for makeup artists to translate into personalised beauty recommendations.
The experience starts through a touch interface styled as a digital makeup brush. Once a customer begins the scan, the mirror guides them through a short sequence: a full face scan, a reveal of their face shape, a breakdown of their face ratio, an assessment of feature balance, and a personalised face ID summary.
That summary brings together the customer’s face shape, ratio, and feature balance into a set of specific recommendations, for example, brow shaping or contouring techniques suited to that particular face, along with a suggested next step, such as booking a sit-down session with a shu uemura makeup artist to bring those recommendations to life.
“We aim to continuously innovate to push the boundaries of artistic expression through technology,” says Jaron Chan, International Brand General Manager at shu uemura. "The 3D face ID scan at our new shu:ARTstage flagship in Omotesando Hills represents the ongoing mastery of our founder’s pioneering spirit. Tradition is a continuous cycle of innovation. By fusing digital technology with the expertise of our makeup artists, we are redefining the future of retail beauty to help reveal each individual’s unique beauty.”
And honourable mentions this week to...
SmartNovo
SmartNovo has announced the launch of its first AI powered autonomous store. This will go live in Poland under the Lewiatan brand, with technology partners including NVIDIA, Starlink, and Nobisoft.
In a LinkedIn post, founder Phi Long Bui said: "Proud to finally share what we've been quietly working on: SmartNova - the store that is controlled by AI. It's an autonomous 24/7 store. 21 square metres. No staff, no queues. You scan, you shop, you walk out. AI is the store manager, the cashier, the security guard, and the marketing team, all in one system.”
Said platform controls door access, tracks every product in real-time, detects theft, responds to falls, changes prices of products using smart tags, and also decides which promotions to run and when. When stock runs low, the AI dispatches a human assistant to replenish exactly what it asks for.
Bui added: "Humans don't run this store, they work for it. The whole container, fully stocked, loads straight onto a truck and relocates anywhere in under an hour. Move it to a busier corner, a new city, a new region, you never lose the store. It just reopens somewhere better."
"The design is EU registered, and the system is built to be GDPR compliant from the ground up, no identities stored. It's legally classified as a vending machine. No lengthy permits, no construction. All you need is a plot the size of two parking spaces, and a brand can have a fully stocked, staffless store running in days. This isn't just for supermarkets either. Any brand can run one."
After SmartNovo opens it first unit under the Lewiatan brand, the plan is to expand steadily across Poland and CEE. “Soon you'll see these container stores everywhere, with a growing line of brands currently on the waitlist,” Bui concluded.
La-Z-Boy
La-Z-Boy has announced the expanded use of new 3D Cloud technology to boost its omnichannel shopping and design experiences and to streamline internal operations.
“We have believed, and invested, in innovation since our founding,” comments Melinda Whittington, CEO, La-Z-Boy Incorporated. “It’s how we have met and continue to meet our customers, partners, and team members' ever evolving needs to deliver value across the business.”
“The expansion of 3D Cloud’s upgraded, new API-based technology into our business processes means that we can show every product and configuration exactly as it will be built, replacing the time-intensive process of manual rendering production,” says Gerardo Ornelas, VP, Enterprise Digital Transformation at La-Z-Boy Incorporated. “The downstream impact of the expanded technology is positive. It gives our customers an improved shopping and design experience, while supporting our team with tools to move faster and align with merchandising priorities.”
